IE9 Deletes server files when they are linked from a sharepoint foundation site

Question

I have found a rather disturbing bug in the way IE9 handles opening Access Databases that are linked inside a Sharepoint Foundation website.  Here is the scenario if anyone cares to replicate:

1.  On your sharepoint site, link an Access 2007 or higher database

2.  Try to open the link with IE 9.  The file will open in the background, but the download manager at the bottom of your IE9 windows will indicate that the filename.accdb couldn't be downloaded.  If you close the database that opened in the background, then choose to "View Downloads" and click "Cancel" for the file, it will delete it from the server (if you have that permission level). 

I consider this to be a pretty dangerous bug.  Can anybody else replicate this?  It also does it with Sharepoint Services 3, so I think it is more of a IE9 bug than Sharepoint.

Answer 1

Can anyone test and verify this?  I could see this causing a lot of damage for people that use internal websites to host links for files in on local servers.

Answer 2

hi Jason E. Murray,

Thank you for posting!

I recommend you post this issue to our Connect feedback portal. Our developer will evaluate them seriously and take them into consideration.

Improving the quality of our products and services is a never ending process for Microsoft.

thanks!

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Answer 3

Yanping Wang: Your link to the Connect FeedBack Portal does not work.  Do you have a current link.  I have continued to test IE 9 against various intranet solutions.  All of them end up with the same outcome, the database file being deleted from the server.

I would like to report this to the developers as soon as possible.

Answer 4

hi Jason E. Murray,

I am sorry for the wrong link, please try this: http://connect.microsoft.com/

thanks!

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Answer 5

Thanks for your post Jason. I have exactly the same issue. It's been nightmare for me. Did you find any solution to this? Please do let me know.

 

Thanks

Ramesh

Answer 6

I'll add my post to the pile. I have the same problem; link to access database opens the file, but IE shows a failure and deletes the file if you click cancel.

I have tried the following group policy entries:

"Intranet Sites: Invlude all networks paths (UNCs)" - Enabled <-- no help

"Site to Zone Assignment List" - adding the root unc \\servername to zone 1 (intranet sites) <-- no help

"Site to Zone Assignment List" - adding the root unc \\servername to zone 2 (trusted sites) <-- no help

 

Just a bump to this other post I found on the same issue.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie9-windows_7/ie9-download-manager-deletes-the-source-file/2d65856c-70ed-4908-9c2c-7e50f3dee874

 

 

Answer 7

I have the same problem, did somebody found a solution yet ?

thanks.

Answer 8

I have the same problem, did somebody found a solution yet ?

https://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/details/652825/ie-9-can-delete-files-linked-from-local-sharepoint-servers-to-local-file-servers

<extracts>

Posted by Microsoft on 7/28/2011 at 4:17 PM

We were able to reproduce the issue and are investigating it.

</extracts>

 

FYI

Robert Aldwinckle
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Answer 9

I have the same issue.

The link above does not work, has there been a fix for this yet? 

This is not limited to SharePoint, if you create a shortcut on your desktop to the mdb, you will also delete the file when you click cancel in the "file can't be downloaded"

 

I found a work around:

After the file is open you have to cancel out of the download error before closing the database.

Answer 10

Jason,

Did you ever find a solution to this?

I have the same issue, but I have noticed that it works just fine in 64bit IE9.

 

Answer 11

funny According to Microsoft they can't reproduce this issue.  I submitted a feedback in the link above http://connect.microsoft.com/  supplied by Yanping above.  I had the same issue in my IE9 64 bit.Maybe if more people submit this bug, MS will be able to reproduce it.

Answer 12

As you probably know, it is pretty easy to reproduce.   All you have to do is to drag and drop your .accdb or .mdb file into the address bar in IE9.   Then IE will ask if you want to open or save the file.  When you click open, then you get the "couldn't be downloaded" error message.

The real reason I am replying back is that just now, I did find (kind of) a work around, while digging around on some other forums.  Maybe it will work, or maybe it will point to the problem, if anyone understands more of what IE9 is doing when you download (open) something.

If I change the .accdb extension to .accdr, there is no issue when you click "open."   From what I understand, when a file has the extension .accdr, it tells Access to open in runtime mode, instead of the full version of Access.   The other thing I see is that the "running security scan..."  yellow bar at the bottom of the IE9 window pops up. 

So, it seems like opening up a database with the runtime version of Access "passes" the security scan and opening up a db with the full version "fails" the security scan.

Thoughts?  Anyone?

Van

Answer 13

I opened a case with MS for this issue.  the Internet explorer dev team is blaming the Access Dev team and the Access Dev team is blaming the IE team.  The only workaround they were able to suggest is to deny delete permissions on the folder hoding the Access DBs.  So in my case, when a user loses a DB, I will restore and apply permissions.

They are working on a fix, but until the 2 groups stop fighting and roll up thier sleeves this will remain a bug.

Answer 14

Same problem! It's been driving us crazy trying to figure out what happens to our file.

 

Does anyone have the correct connect link?

 

Thanks,

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Dana

Answer 15

http://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/details/691144/ie-9-deletes-access-mdb

This is the link to my open ticket with them.  Maybe you can get the geniuses at Microsoft to reproduce this and get this fixed. I have been battling them for a few months now and they dont seem to feel its an issue.  As I posted before the only work around is to deny delete permissions to all on to the folder holding the DBs

Good luck,

Joe

Answer 16

they dont seem to feel its an issue

In IE10.   Did you repro in it?   Connect is where you report new problems.   You would have to open a support case if you needed a hotfix.   Otherwise devise a security case and get the update via a security patch.   <eg>

 

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Answer 17

I wouldnt even think of going to IE10 until MS fixes IE9

Answer 18

Same problem here.  I'm so glad I found this post; it's nice knowing I'm not alone with this problem.  As mentioned by others, I was really frustrated, trying to figure out why our Access database kept randomly disappearing.  Jaylou, your link doesn't work, at least, not anymore.  Did you ever get a fix for it?  I removed the Delete right from the file, which does work, but it's an inconvenient workaround.  I can't believe there is such a dangerous bug in IE9.  This doesn't happen in Firefox.

Answer 19

I just clicked on the link below and it brought me in.

Unfortunatly Microsoft is still running the blame game between their groups.  Access says its IE and IE says its Access.  They have ignored every one of my requests for info.  Hopefully this link will work, maybe if there are enough of us that complain MS will agree its an issue, so far they seem to not care about it.

On an even funnier note about MS....  I called with an issue about something else and they told me thier support tool does not work in IE9 I either had to downgrade to 8 or use another browser like Firefox :)  How's that for support.

http://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/details/691144/ie-9-deletes-access-mdb

Answer 20

Well, the exact message I get when I try to go to that page is: "The content that you requested cannot be found or you do not have permission to view it."  So maybe it's not the link that's wrong, it's just that I don't have rights to see it.  But I'll try the connect.microsoft.com link and put in my own ticket.  By this point I don't really expect a resolution, but at least they'll have someone else complaining about it!

Answer 21

The more complaints the better...  I had to remove the deny deletes to 5 folders last week, what a PITA :(

Answer 22

Turns out I had to fill out some dumb survey before I could access the IE feedback program.  But once I did that, I was able to access your ticket from the link you posted.  So I added my feedback to yours and danadolittle's.

Answer 23

Oh well I guess nothing at MS is user freindly.

I hope they can figure something out...  I can't believe they dropped the ball like this.

Answer 24

IE does not delete file by itself, it merely send http requests to the server. It is the WebDav server (in this case sharepoint) who deleted the file. You can run fiddler to find out the commands in request logs to see who to blame. If there is a delete method, contact IE support. If there isn't, contact sharepoint support.

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Answer 25

This is not only in Sharepoint.  I put the address to Access databases directly into IE9 and got the same results.  The file gets deleted.  I do the same in IE8 and the file remains in the drive.  I have also opened the link from a PC using IE8 via SharePoint and the file remains in the drive.  This has to be IE9.  I ran the same tests at home where SharePoint does not exist, I created an Access DB, opened via web browser (IE9) and guess what!!  the file was deleted.  I dont have an IE8 at home so I couldn't test that.

Answer 26

We've got the exact same problem at our company. Our users constantly delete important access databases, which we have to restore afterwards. The IE9 download manager is definitely the cause of this problem. The problem started after a company wide upgrade from ie8 to ie9. And... we are not using a SharePoint site.

Answer 27

I am still waiting for an answer from microsoft.  Not sure if they are still working on this issue.  I have reported this almost a year ago and still nothing.

here is the link to my open ticket with microsoft.  you may need to fill out a registration before getting in.

http://connect.microsoft.com/IE/feedback/details/691144/ie-9-deletes-access-mdb

Maybe if enough people open tickets they will try to fix this. 

Answer 28

The links says 'page not found'. So maybe Microsoft just closed this case without solving it?

Answer 29

Did anyone else try to rename the db from .accbd to .accdr?  If opening the db with runtime is even an option, depending on what the users need to do.

Answer 30

you may need to register at http://connect.microsoft.com/ before it allows you in.  I think someone else in this post had that issue.

Answer 31

this was resolved with MS.  they added as windows update and IE9 no longer deletes the files